Junior Doctors’ Pay Questioned

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30482, 2 July 1964, Page 3

Junior Doctors ’ Pay Questioned

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, July 1.

The salaries and conditions of . junior residential medical practitioners in hospitals were discussed in Parliament this afternoon, when Mr D. S. Thomson (Govt., Stratford) asked the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) whether it was correct, as stated by a resident doctor in Wanganui, that his “take away” pay was £l3 7s a week.

Mr Thomson asked, if this was a fair statement, or whether keep was allowed for on top of the salary. He also asked if an indication could be given of the average annual earnings the same medical practitioner could expect to receive in pay during the-next 20 years of private, practice. “Before a full registration is granted or private practice permitted, a junior medical officer is required- to serve a year in a public . hospital after graduation, and the net salary of £l3 7s a week after tax deductions applies to this period?’ Mr McKay said. “In addition, a single medical officer, receives free board and lodging or, if living out, an allowance of £156 a year. A married house surgeon would normally be given free furnished residential accommodation, fuel and light, or alternatively a similar living-out allowance. “No figures are' available for average annual earnings in private practice over a period of 20. years. “The Department of Statis-. tics report on the incomes and income-tax statistics of New Zealand gives the median assessable income of

medical practitioners as £2949 for the year ended March 31, 1960—the latest available.”. Mr G. A. Spooner (Opp., Wanganui): Would the Minister agree that the remuneration is small seeing that the weekly hours of work amount to 108?

Mr McKay: The hours of work are varied.

Mr W. A.'Fox (Opp., Miramar): Does the Minister not agree that the rates of pay for junior house surgeons should be reviewed, seeing that police recruits are now being offered more than £lOOO a year?